Educating Clinicians on Injection Drug Use

A University of Pittsburgh researcher has developed a novel educational tool, “Injection Drug Use (IDU) and SBIRT,” (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment), to increase understanding of the harms of IDU to improve support for patients. The tool is designed to train clinicians in SBIRT evidence-based principles to empower clinicians to discuss IDU with patients and begin an intervention or develop a management plan. This training has the potential to reduce the stigma associated with IDU, leading to clinicians and patients working together to develop harm reduction strategies and better manage any co-occurring mental or physical health disorders. 

Description

In the US, nearly 7 million people have injected an illicit drug at least once in their lifetime. With IDU comes a variety of risks including infection and transmission of bloodborne pathogens (BBPs), injury to skin, soft tissue, and vasculature, and overdose, both fatal and non-fatal. There is a great need for healthcare professionals (HCPs) to discuss drug use with patients in a non-judgmental, honest manner with open communication building patient-HCP trust. Such trust can lead to brief interventions, referral to recovery services, and the development of harm reduction strategies to improve patients’ overall health and reduce lifetime harms from IDU.

Applications

• Community and primary care provider (PCP) training

Advantages

There are a variety of drugs commonly injected (e.g., heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine), and occasionally injected (e.g., opioids and ketamine). Aside from the direct risks of IDU (e.g., BBPs, vascular injury, foreign body emboli), there also exists a risk of inadequate calorie intake and mental health problems due to an unstable lifestyle and social isolation. Primary care HCPs are ideally placed to recognize and engage with drug users and need evidence-based training to succeed.

This training provides HCPs with key information on the risks of IDU and how to apply SBIRT to discuss drug use with patients as well as identify and quantify the risks for harm to the patient. Additionally, HCPs are provided with the skills to develop brief interventions, refer to treatment, and advise on evidence-based risk reduction strategies to individuals who continue with IDU.

Invention Readiness

This course, “Injection Drug Use (IDU) and SBIRT”, is designed to educate HCPs on the risks of IDU, how to discuss the subject with patients, initiate screening for BBPs and polysubstance use, and identify common medical and psychiatric complications of IDU. HCPs learn about potential interventions such as addressing the immediate medical needs of patients, long-term medical care and disease screening, referral to treatment services, and improving access to social support. Using this training, HCPs can work with patients to understand their goals, recognizing that not all patients want treatment, and that acceptance of continued drug use is different from condoning it. Importantly, this tool provides HCPs with the knowledge to offer risk reduction advice based on a patient’s circumstances increasing the probability of long-term success.

IP Status

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